Well-drilling machinery



July 28, 1925. 1,547,425

F. J. LEWIS WELL DRILLING MACHINERY Filed July 23, 1924 2 Sheets$heet 1 flmz a? m 1s v [raven Atiqrzze s,

July 28, 1925.

F. J. LEWIS WELL DRILLING MACHINERY Filed July 23. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fores cf Le .Z'zzvezzzfor Attamgs rotation by means of a suitable brake.

Patented July 28, 1925.

PA'EEN rice.

' FOREST J. LEWIS, or CLEVELAND, oHIo.

WELL-DRILLING MACHINERY.

Application filed July 23, 1924. Serial No. 727,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Former J. Lewis, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVelLDrilling Machinery, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to well drilling mechanism and has for its object the provision of new and improved means for manipulating the tug ropes and controlling the bull wheel. ell drilling machinery is generally of a massive yet very simple type and comprises essentially a derrick for the sole purpose of supporting pulley blocks high in the air, and a single driving wheel of large size called the band wheel located at one side of the derrick and driven from the steam engine by means of a massive belt. Rotatable with this band wheel is a crank which drives a walking beam by means of which the drills are alternately lifted and dropped.

Also rotatable with this wheel is what is known as a tug wheel adapted to be belted 1n driving relation to a second tug wheel connected to a large cyl1n'dr1cal drum known as the bull wheel and used for the purpose of winding up the ropes necessary to raise and lower the drillmg tools, ra se and lower the well casmgs, and operate the buckets for bailing out the well. Provision is made for wheels is generally effected by means ofa rope drive, the two tugwhecls being grooved for the purpose and two separate rope :belts' being ordinarily used, each approximately two inches in diameter and crossed for greater adhesion. In order to stop the operation of the bull wheel the attendant throws the tug ropes off the driven tug wheel and holds the bull wheel against retrograde In order to reconnect the tug ropes he is obliged to re-belt the same, releasing the brake at the proper instant;

The objects of my inventionare the provision of means to facilitate this belting and unbelting and the simultaneous control of the brake; to support the tug rope out of frictional contact with the driving tug rim durlng the time that the same is not in use,

yet in such relation to the groove of such rim as to permit instant connection of the tug ropes 111 case of need; theprovlsion of a tug rope support which shall in large part be automaticallythrown out of the way by the rope itself when no longer needed; the provision of a tug rope support which when not in use shall not impede the manipulation of the driving belt; the provision of a device of this character of great simplicity, ruggedness and strength and with a minimum num ber of small or moving parts; while further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this application I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention wherein Fig. 1 shows a part of a well drilling outfit comprising my improvements, the

tug rope being in position and my improved tug rope support retracted; Fig. 2 illustrates the same parts showing the positions they assume during the time that the tug rope is disconnected and my improved support is inuse; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the essential well drilling mechanism showing one mode of installing my improvements; Fig. 4 is a sectional view corresponding to the line 4-4. of Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 s

a similarview corresponding to the line'55 of Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of the support. V

Describing the parts by reference characters, 11 represent the legs of the derrick, 2= the band wheel, 3 the driving belt therefor, 4c the crank, 5 the walking beam,

6 the bull wheel, 7 the brake drum thereof, 8 a'brake shoe, 9 and 10 the tug wheels, the former fastened to the side of the band wheel and the latter to the end of the bull wheel. It is immaterial to my invention whether these tug wheels be complete disks or merely hollow rims provided only that they be suitably formed forthe reception of one or more tug ropes 11 and that space be provided adjacent to the wheel 10 for the reception of the tug ropes about the'axle 12. The features described thus far are standard and, common to practically all well drilling outfits.

Traversing the tug rope 11 near the tug wheel 9 and beneath the upper run of the rope I provide a horizontal cross member 15, such as a. piece of iron pipe supported on uprights 16, and upon this member I mount an elongated frame shown at 17 in Figs. 1 and 2 parallel to said tug rope. This frame comprises essentially a pair of side members 18-18 connected by suitable cross members 19 as shown in Fig. 4 or 19 as shown in Fig. 5 to produce a rectangular slideway. The members 18-18 shown in Fig. 4 are channel members and the members 19 are diagonal cross pieces riveted thereto, the upper flanges 20 of the channel members constituting slideways for the longitudinally movable plate 21. In the form shown in Fig. 5 the side members consist of the downturned flanges of an integral plate 19 whose middle is depressed to form a channel, the marginal portions between the channel and the flanges constituting slideways 20 as before.

Riveted to the sides 18 are angle bars 22 whose flanges 23 overlie the margins of the plates 21 so as to hold them to their courses. The plate 21 is depressed intermediate its margins to provide longitudinal channels 24 equal in number and spacing to the tug ropes and adapted to receive the same. For supporting this frame and its attached parts I preferably secure a pair ofdepending ears 25 to each side thereof insuch position as to straddle the bar 15, locating these at a suitable point intermediate the ends of the frame, while at a point further from the band wheel I provide an upright standard 26 having adjustably screwed thereto a pair of spaced arms 27-27 adapted to embrace the far end of the frame and determine its inclination.

To some suitable foundation near the band wheel I pivot a lever 30 and the upper'end of that lever I connect by means of a pivoted link 31 with a pin 32 projecting laterally from the plate 21 near its forward end. This lever I also secure by means of the operating rod 33 to an operating lever 34 1 located in easy reach of the tug wheel 10. The arrangement of the parts is such that when the plate 21 is retracted as shown in Fig. 1 it clears the tug wheel 9 and the tug ropes 11 pass freely above the same but when extended as shown in Fig. 2 itprojects over the top of the tug wheel 9 and engages the rope or ropes so as to hold it or them out of frictional contact with the wheel although allowing them to depend in the plane of their grooves, this movement of the plate being effected by the operation of the lever 34. Adjacent to the bull wheel I preferably locate a lever 35 connected to the brake drum 8 as indicated in Fig. 3 so that one attendant can without difficulty manipulate both levers and the tug ropes. It will be noted that the direction of travel of the ropes is such as to tend to push the plate 21 into passive position, thus enabling the attendant, after having released the lever 34, to devote his entire attention to applying the tug rope to the wheel and releasing the brake which is necessarily effected at the same time.

Preferably the free end of the lever 30 lies near the support 15 when the plate is retracted as shown in Fig. 1. WVhen the parts are in this position and the tug ropes removed, the tug rope support can readily be rotated into the position shown in dotted lines merely by removing the stops 27.

This permits free access to the band wheel for the purpose of belting or unbelting the same which, owing to the great weight and stiffness of the belt 3, is generally accomplished by the first running that belt on to the tug rim and afterwards transferring it to the band wheel itself. a

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have produced a device of great simplicity which can be employed in connection with established well drilling devices,;

a movable member carried by said slideway and adapted either to be projected into supporting relation with said belt to lift the upper run thereof out of contact with said pulley or to be withdrawn out of engagement with said belt, and means for actuating said member from a distance.

2. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a pair of grooved pulleys spaced apart horizontally and a belt adapted to connect them, of a" slideway located adjacent the driving pulley near the upper run of said belt, a movable member movable along said slideway and shaped to engage said belt, said member overhanging saiddriving pulley when at one end of its travel so as to hold the belt out of contact therewith, and being free fromthe belt at the other end of its travel, and means for operating said movable member.

3. In mechanism of the character described, the combination with a pair of grooved pulleys spaced apart longitudinally and a belt adapted to connect them, of a slideway located adjacent the driving pulley between the two runs of belt and converging with the upper rim at a point adjacent the pulley run and a movable member carried by said slideway adapted when extended to hold said belt away from said pulley.

4:. The combination with a driving pulley, of a member located at one side thereof and having a slideway, a member movable along said slideway and having a belt engaging portion, the path of travel of said movable member lying in the plane of said belt and intersecting the upper run of said belt whereby to hold said belt away from said pulley.

5. The combination with a driving pulley of a support located at one side thereof, a member pivoted to said support and having a slideway, a member slidable along said slideway and having a belt engaging portion adapted in one position of said members to hold said belt away from said pulley, and means for sliding said second member without preventing the pivoting of said first member.

6. In well drilling machinery, the combination with a band wheel and a tug rim connected thereto, of a member mounted in the plane of said tug rim and adjacent thereto, means supporting said member for pivotal movement about an axis transverse to the plane of the wheel, and a second member slidable along said first member adapted to overlie the tug rim and hold the tub rope away from the same.

7. In well drilling machinery, the combination with a band wheel and a tug rim connected thereto, of a horizontal member at one side of said band wheel, a second member carried by said horizontal member near the upper run of the tug rope, and a slidable member movable along said second member adapted to engage said tug rope and hold it away from said rim, said second member being pivoted to said first member whereby it can be moved out of obstructing relation as concerns said band wheel.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a slideway, and an elongated slidable member therein having in its upper surface a belt receiving groove extending from end to end.

9. In a device of the character described, in combination, a slideway, and an elongated slidable member therein having a lateral finger, a link connected to said finger, and an operating lever articulated to said link, said member having a belt receiving groove in its upper surface.

10. As an article of manufacture and sale, a tug rope support for well drilling machinery comprising a member having a slideway and an elongated slidable member there in having a groove for the reception of a tug rope.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

FOREST J. LEWIS. 

